United Nations refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi has called on war-torn countries' leaders to work together end their conflicts and help the world's 100 million refugees to return home and rebuild their lives.
"World leaders remain unable or unwilling to resolve conflicts," Grandi said in a statement to mark World Refugee Day.
"We at UNHCR recently announced the seemingly unimaginable: 100 million people have now been forced to flee their homes," he noted.
The war in Ukraine, as well as new or continuing emergencies in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have all contributed to this "staggering figure," Grandi said.
UNHCR faces a daunting challenge with the number of people being forced to flee their homelands outpacing solutions for those on the run, including returning home, resettlement in other countries or full integration into countries of arrival, Grandi warned.
"The solutions deficit continues to grow," said Grandi, underlining that leaders can work together to bring peace and offer "lasting and humane solutions" for the word's displaced.
Grandi cited Cote d’Ivoire as an example of a country that has emerged from a harsh conflict that forced hundreds of thousands to flee the country. Over the past decade 96% of refugees - over 310,000 people - have voluntarily returned home, Grandi noted.
"By working together, the countries of the region have taken it upon themselves to integrate those who choose to remain, regularising their stay in their new homes and communities," said Grandi.
"On World Refugee Day, I call on states to look to countries like Cote d’Ivoire, who recognise that stopping war and conflict is the best," he said.
"The world has a choice: either come together to reverse the trend of persecution, violence, and war, or accept that the legacy of the 21st century is one of continued forced displacement."
